Carlo Rusconi

The essay studies the addition of possession in the acquisition of property or other “real rights” (rights in rem) by usucapion (adverse possession). Specifically, the research focuses on the Italian regions where the rules on transfer of property and land registers derive from Austrian law. After analyzing the jurisprudence, the author argues that the requirement of the title, occurring for the addition of possession under Italian law, does not involve that the right is registered.

L’ordinanza della Cassazione 27 luglio 2022, n. 23422 ha individuato l’essenza della mediazione nel «comportamento materiale di ‘‘messa in relazione’’ di due o più parti per la conclusione di un affare» e l’ha ascritta alla categoria dei rapporti contrattuali di fatto. Nel caso di specie, tale ricostruzione ha condotto a riconoscere l’esistenza di un rapporto di mediazione con un ente pubblico, benché fosse mancato da parte di questo un atto scritto di conferimento dell’incarico. La Corte di Cassazione sembra inoltre porre le premesse per una rivisitazione dell’orientamento giurisprudenziale relativo alla natura della responsabilità del mediatore quando l’incarico viene conferito da una sola delle parti.

The judgment n. 23422/2022 of the Court of Cassation decided a case on real estate brokers. The Supreme Court ruled that brokerage creates a factual contract; therefore, written form is not required, not even when public administration is involved as party of real estate negotiations.

The essay analyses a recent ruling of the Court of Cassation concerning the land registry system (sistema tavolare) that is in force in the Italian regions parts of the Austrian empire until the end of the First World War and that stems from the Austrian law. The Court determines the proper interpretation of the rules on adverse possession against the third person who purchases a right relying on the accuracy of the land register.  Moreover, the ruling confirms that the protection of the third person requires good faith.

The contribution aims to investigate how affectionate ties in foster care and in adoption are protected under Italian foster care and adoption law. The essay focuses in particular on the recent law n. 173/2015 that explicitly allowed fostering families to adopt the children they foster. The kafalah and recent judgments on stepchild adoption for same-sex couples are also examined.

The essay examines the proposal, presented with the d.d.l. delega n. 1151/2019, to introduce a certificate of succession in Italian law on the model of the certificate created by the European regulation n. 650/2012. The paper points out that in Italian law already exists a certificate of succession: this is the certificate of succession provided for the former Austrian provinces with the r.d. 499/29, which can be regarded, albeit indirectly, as the model of the European certificate of succession. De iure condendo two aspects are principally considered, namely the consequences that a certificate of succession would have on the rules of the civil code on the apparent heir and the problem of the competence to issue the certificate (judges or notaries).

The paper takes into consideration the Italian rules on anonymous birth and adoption and makes a comparison with the German law on confidential birth (vertrauliche Geburt). The author analyses the function and the main features of this law in particular in relation to the principles to establish maternity and paternity and to the right to know one's origins.

With regard to the transfer of immovable property, besides the transcription of deeds (trascrizione immobiliare) of French origin, the Italian law maintains the land register (sistema tavolare - Grundbuchordnung) in the regions that were part of the Austrian empire until the First World War. This essay aims to study this peculiar system provided by the r.d. 28.03.1929, n. 499. Although French and German rules on transfer of immovable property are usually regarded as either-or options, in Italy there were remarkable mutual enhancements: the principles of the sistema tavolare have inspired important innovations of the transcription-system since the current civil code entered into force. At the same time, the interaction between the former Austrian law and the consensualism in the r.d. 499/1929 created a system of transfer that is more suitable to the modern economy. This research not only confirms the quality of the sistema tavolare in guaranteeing efficiency and security for the transfer of immovables, but also suggests that the Italian sistema tavolare could be recommended as a model for a common European law. The paper provides proposals for the update of the sistema tavolare as well.

The essay examines the civil liability of parents and teachers – and generally educators – for the torts caused by minors. The author analyses in particular the rule of the Italian civil code (art. 2048) and criticizes the interpretation as strict liability. It is pointed out the relevance of the de facto capacity of minors as well.

The essay analyses the problem of addiction in the perspective of Italian private law. The Author considers the consequences on legal capacity (especially with regard to marriage, filiation and minors) and describes the remedies provided by law for addicted persons. The paper takes in particular consideration the so-called new addictions (e.g. gambling).

This essay aims to present the ‘simple adoption’ regulation provided in Italy (“adozione in casi particolari”). After remembering the historical development, it is focused on the main features of this institution (purpose, requirements and effect). Some disputed issue are then considered. In particular, the author investigates whether ‘simple adoption’, as amended by the recent filiation law reform, creates legal relationship between the child and the relatives of the adoptive parents. Another topic is the ‘simple adoption’ of foreign minors. The paper takes into account the law reform proposals that are currently debated in Parliament too.

La monografia pone a tema l’istituto del libro fondiario, disciplinato dal r.d. 28 marzo 1929, n. 499 e dall’allegata legge tavolare. Si propone in particolare di far emergere l’apertura polifunzionale della pubblicità tavolare, ovvero l’aver sviluppato, accanto alla pubblicità costitutiva che fonda la funzione istituzionale del libro fondiario, anche la pubblicità in funzione prenotativa e oppositiva, così predisponendo un sistema capace di rispondere ai bisogni di una circolazione giuridico-economica complessa. Per svolgere in modo metodologicamente corretto l’indagine, viene studiata, soprattutto in rapporto ai modelli di derivazione rappresentati dal diritto austriaco e tedesco, la sequenza di trasferimento dei diritti prevista nel tavolare. La ricerca dimostra inoltre il rilievo – storico e attuale – del tavolare per orientare gli sviluppi della pubblicità di trascrizione.